Target



y 22, 1941- I. o. MOSSBERG 2,250,165

TARGET Filed Feb. 20, 1840 INVENTOR 1V8? 0. Mossterg. 7

ATTORNEY Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,250,166TARGET Iver 0. Mossberg, New Haven, Conn, assignor to 0. F. Mossberg &Sons, Inc., New Haven, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationFebruary 20, 1940, Serial No. 319,857

2 Claims. (Cl. 223-1054) This invention relates to targets and moreparticularly to targets adapted for use in traps to be thrown by thetrap through the air where they are broken when struck by shot from adischarged firearm.

The target of this invention is particularly useful with traps havingmeans to retain the target therein against any accidental releasetherefrom in any direction until thrown and therefore, one object ofthis invention is to so form a target that it will be adapted to be soheld by a trap of such nature.

Another object of this invention is to provide a target of such form andstructure that it will fly evenly through the air without wobbling.

Still another object is to provide a target of the above nature which,when in the air, will readily shatter when struck by a shot, or thelike, but will be sufliciently strong to permit it to be packed,handled, and held in, and rapidly thrown from, a trap without breaking.

A further object of this invention is to provide a as a new article ofmanufacture an improved disc-like target having a new and usefulconformation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved formof target which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple inconstruction, and which is very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, there have been illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, two forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodiedin practice.

In the drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate like partsthroughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a target, embodying the features andprinciples of this invention, shown mounted and firmly held in a trapadapted to throw the target outwardly therefrom into the air;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the trap shown in Figure 1with an unsectioned side view of the target of this invention mountedtherein;

Figure 3 is an enlarged top view of the improved target of thisinvention with a broken portion of the trap shown in cooperationtherewith;

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the target;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of two targets nested together forpacking, the upper one of the two targets being cross-sectioned todisclose its conformation;

Figure 6 is a top plan View of a target of somewhat modified form; and VFigure 7 is a sectional view taken on line 'l-l of Figure 6.

The target of this invention is preferably made of some readilyfracturable material such as clay, and is particularly adapted for usewith a trap Ill of the same or similar form as that shown in a copendingapplication Serial 'No. 311,531, filed Dec. 29, 1939. In accordance withthis copending application the trap l0 and the target of this inventionare for use with shot shells of small calibre. Such shot shells includethe wellknown and long used .410 paper shot shell, the 9 m. m. long, the.32 long, the .22 long rifle, and the .22 long, rim fire metallic shotshell cartridges. The trap Iii, see Figure 1, includes a sheet metalframe having a bottom plate ll, an end portion I2 which extendsangularly and rearwardly from the plate I I, "and upright flanges l3 andM which extend the entire length of the plate I I, along its sides.Narrow elongated strips l5 and I6 extend transversely toward each otheralong the entire length of the flanges l3 and M respectively from theirtop edges. The strips l5 and It being spaced from the plate II by therespective flanges I3 and I4 form opposing channelsl'l and I8. I

The trap I 0 is adapted to be pivotally secured upon a stationarymember, or post, l9, which in turn may be secured to a firearm, or astandard, (not shown), by a screw 2! which is screwthreaded into thepost l9 after passing through a suitable hole in the outer end 22 of theframe end portion I2. A coiled spring 23, secured at one end 24 to theportion l2 and at its other end 25 to the post I9, is tensioned when thetrap is swung about the pivot screw 2| to the position indicated indotted lines in Figure 1 to provide means to rapidly swing the trapframe forwardly and throw a disc-like target 25 therefrom- A leaf spring21 secured at one end to the flange by a screw 28 is bent inwardly atits other end to provide a tongue 29 adapted to be pressed through anopening 3| in the flange l4 and be disposed in the forward path of thetarget 26 to releasably hold it in the frame in cooperation with a lug32 struck up from the plate II at the rear of the target 26.

The target 26 of this invention is disc-like in form having acylindrical base, or annular rim, 33 of proper diameter to readily slidealong the frame bottom plate H between the flanges I3 and M. The height,or thickness, of the base 33 is of proper dimension to readily slidebetween the plate II and the strips l5 and I6 which overhang theperipheral edge of the base 33 to prevent it accidentally droppingtherefrom should the frame be held in another position such as beinginverted from that shown in Figure 1. The target 26 has a portion 34extending upwardly from' the base 33 a short amount to form acylindrical shoulder 35, the diameter of which is slightly less than thedimension between the opposing edges 35 and 31 of the strips |5 and I6respectively; The target 26 has a portion 38 extending upwardly from theportion 34, forming the shoulder 35,a short amount,.toform a cylindricalshoulder 39. From the cylindrical shoulder 33 the target has a portion43'.

which extends upwardly and is frusto-conical in shape. top surface 42 ofwhich is concave to gradually reduce the thickness of the wall of thetop portion 4| toward its center to form a thin and weakened portionthereat and thus. reduce the reinforcement actionthereof for resistingcollapse of the side wall portion 40.

The target 26 is hollow having a short cylindrical interior surface 43within its base portion 33 from which the interiorsurface 44 extendsupwardly, frusto-conical in shape, to a flat circular interior surface45 'whichlies directly beneath, and is substantially" the same diameteras, the concave outer surface 42. The diameter of the cylindricalinterior surface 43 is substantially the sameas the diameter of theshoulder 39 of the portion 38, so that, when targets are nested as inFigure 5, the bottom surface 46 of the upper one will seat upon theupper surface 41 of the portion 34,

In Figures 6'and .7 a target 5| is shown similar in every respect to thepreviously described target 26 except that the center portion 4| hasbeen omitted leavinga hole 52 thereat. It is understoodthat the targets26 and 5| fly through the target only their side walls. Shot 54 firedfrom a firearm by a marksman striking the side wall of either the target25 or 5| will obviously shatter the target while it is in the air thusvisibly indieating a hit. In accordancewith the principles and featuresof this invention, it is preferable that the side walls of the targets23 and 5| are notappreciably reinforced at their top center andtherefore the top wall 4| of the target 26 is appreciably thinned andthereby weakened by the con- The target 26 has a top portion 4| the Iair with their respective bases 33 and 53 substantially in a horizontalplane thus presenting as a a concave upper surface 42 for the target,its top wall 4| is extremely thin whereby the conical sides 40 willreadily fracture when they are struck by a shot, due to not beingappreciably reinforced by this thin top portion 4| whereby shot 54traveling in paths indicated by dash lines 49 striking this thin topwall will easily pass through the same and strike the side wall insidethe target to fracture it.

Due to the base 33 having the thickest wall, the portion 34 somewhatless in wall thickness and the wall of the portion 43 graduallydecreasing in thickness as it approaches the thin top portion 4|, theexcess of weight of the target is at, or adjacent to, the base 33whereby its center of gravityill is adjacent the plane of the uppersurface of said base. In view of such determined location of the centerof gravity, the target 26 when rapidly thrown into the air tends to fly,with its base 33 disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, evenlyand without wobbling whereby a steady moving target is provided for themarksman. It will be noted that the walls of the target 26 graduallydiminish in thickness from the base 33 to the top 4| except at theweakened point 48, thus insuring that upon being struck by a shot from amarksmans firearm, the entire target will break while in the air andthus visibly indicate a hit.

An article of manufacture such as above described having; a relativelythin cylindrical base 33 with a relatively thick wall and being adaptedto slide along spaced apart opposed channels I7 and IS; a stepped-upcylindrical portion 34 concentric to the base 33 but of smaller diameterand having a somewhat thinner wall; another stepped-up cylindricalportion 38 also concentric to the base 33 and being smaller in diameterthan the portion 34 and having a still thinner wall; a frusto-conicalportion extending upwardly from the portion 38 with its wall graduallydecreasing inthickness as it approaches the top; and a thin walled topportion 4| formed by providing a concave top surface, as shown inFigures 1-5, or no top wall, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, provides adisc-like target-which is particularly efficient in use, and durable tocarry, or to throwfrom a trap. v w

The term concave surface as used herein is to be understood tospecifically refer toa surface, such as 42, which is depressed by beinggradually tapered from its periphery radially in all directions towardits center, and which is readily pass therethrough without undueresist.-

ance andstrike the interior and opposite side wall of the target tothoroughly shatter it.

' D'ue tothe above construction, whereby a relative'ly heavy base 33 isprovided, the ta get of this invention is provided with means wherebyitis readilyslidable in opposing channels such as I! and I8 ofa trapsimilar to that disclosed in Figure 1 without danger of being broken.The wall 43 of the'target where the shoulder 39 joins the portion 34 ismade relatively thin insuring ready fracture of the target at thispoint. By providing preferably, though not necessarily arcuate incross-section.

While there has been shown and described herein two forms of an improvedtarget, it is to be understood that the invention may be embodied inother forms without departing from the spirit and essential attributesthereof; It is therefore desired that the present embodiments beconsidered in all respectsas illustrative and not restrictive, and itwill-be further understood that each and every novel featureand'combination thereof, present in, or possessed by, the 'articlesherein disclosed, forms a part of the in vention included in thisapplication.

What is claimed as new and for'which 'it'is desired to secure LettersPatent, is:

1. A target comprising a hollow annular body creasing in thickness as itextends upwardly to be weaker at its upper end than at its lower end andthan said base rim, and a circular top wall extending across said targetat the upper edge of said side wall, said top wall gradually decreasingin thickness radially in all directions toward its center from the upperedge of said side wall to cause it to be substantially weaker than saidside wall and to be particularly thin at its center area to permit readypassage therethrough of a pellet from a fired shot shell of smallcalibre, and whereby it will not appreciably reinforce said side wallagainst fracture when the latter is struck by a pellet from a fired shotshell of small calibre.

2. A target comprising a hollow annular body of readily fracturablematerial adapted for trap shooting and having a substantially thick baserim, an annular side wall extending upwardly from said base rim andbeing generally frustoconical in form, said side Wall graduallydecreasing in thickness as it extends upwardly to be weaker at its upperend than at its lower end and than said base rim, and a circular topwall extending across said target at the upper edge of said side wall,said top wall having a relatively flat under-surface and being depressedat its upper-surface gradually from its periphery at the upper edge ofsaid side wall toward its center radially in all directions to bearcuate in crosssection to cause said top Wall to be substantiallyweaker than said side wall and to be particularly thin at its centerarea to permit ready passage therethrough of a pellet from a fired shctshell of small calibre, and whereby it will not appreciably reinforcesaid side Wall against fracture when the latter is struck by a pelletfrom a fired shot shell of small calibre.

IVER O. MOSSBERG.

